Universal switch-box.



W. M. BROWN'.

UNIVERSAL SWITGH BOX,

APrLI'oATIoN FILED nso. 2.1907.

@3977@ Patented 0615.20, 1908.

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,1r-Tonner.

. W. M. BROWN. UNIVERSAL SWITCH BOX. APPLICATION FILED DEO. 2,1907- QLN.Patented oet. 2o, 1908'.

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WITNESSES.' A INVEVNTOH A )7T /721970 22220, 1 v .l s@ www i w ff MM ATTU/MEV,

W. M. BROWN.

UNIVERSAL SWITCH BOX.

APPLICATION FILED Dnu;2,1907.

Patented 001;. 20, 1908.

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? m LOLQQMMQL DEO. 2, 1907.

Patented 0011. 20, 1908.

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fb 5M/M4@ @TED STATES FFCE.

WILLIAMMILTON-VBR0WN, oF-fJoHNsTowN,PENNSYLVANIA, Assienon To THE Leann:f STEEL COMPANY, aconroRATIoN or PENNsYLvANiA..

Unrvnasan smeren-Box.

armonica.

u .Specification o.' Letters Patent.l

Patent-.ea oct. 2o, 190s.

Applicationfued necember 2, 1907. serial No. 404,842.

To 'ali whomxit may concern: f

Be it known that I, WILLIAM MILTON BROWN, 'of Johnstown, in the countyofl -Cambria andv State of Pennsylvania, have #invented a newand usefulImprovement in Universalv Switch-Boxes, of which the followingis a full,clear, and exact description, 'reference belng had to the accompanyingdrawings, which form a part -of this specification. i

My invention has 4relation to spring boxes crossed by the tracks onwhich. his car is running, and if the road is clear,'.he manually closesthetongue of the'derailingswitch, and

' alinement with each other, are the two lugs signals themotorman tocross.

'Prior my inventlon, it was necessary vto ma'ke a dliierent box for eachswitch asv the conditions of each switch differ, dueto' difa box-whichwill be vof 'ziuniversal character,

or adjustable,--to meet the requirements for dierent rail sections,diierent angles of crossing and location of switch levers.

With these objects in view, my invention' consists'in a switch box ofs'utlici'ent height" 3..

for the highest railsection, to ether witchock 'or filler member adaptebetween the box and the switch struc# ture, the one side of the chockinterlocking with-the grooves or ribs' on the box, and the other side'of the chock conforming with the rail section of theA switch. Mountedwithin the box, aretwo shaftsl connected together by construction,arrangement', and combination of parts pointed out. in lthe appendedclaims,

and illustrated inI the accompanying drawings, in which Figere 12 1S iplanifier O fmy iLIiPeiedff lox with the ,cover removed, and showingaportion of a tongue switch to which thebox is attached; Fig. 2, is aside elevation ofthe same. 3 and 4 are'sectional views on the nieuwe andNew of reallifer to be interspectively; Figs. 5f and 6 are sectionalviews on'the lines V'V and VI--V'I of Fig. 4 respectively.

A is the' switch box, `B the switch structure,

land C is a chock which is interposed between-the box and the switchstructure, the' three members being secured-together by the' screws c,c. The inner face of the chock is provided with grooves c', 0.,'wh1ch1nterlock The inner face ofthe choekis always made to conform to thecontiguous surface'of the switch box, while the outer face is Ymade toconform to the contour of. the face of the switch with which the box isto be used4 Cast integrally with the main box A, and in a', a'.Projecting downwardly -from the main box A, Ais the tubular projectionvA', the end of which is flanged as at A9'.v Mount ed on the lower end ofthis tube, and capable of being rotated thereon, is a tubular cap orcover D. This cap is provided with the internal flange al, and theexternal ange d.

Passing through the flange A3, are the hookbolts E. The hook ends ofthese bolts grasp the ilange rl of the cap and clamp it to the bottom ofthe tubular end of the casing. IProjecting from theside of the tubularcap, is the fianged outlet d, to which the pipe connection leading tothe switch lever box is made, and centrally located on the bottom of thecap is the step bearing d3. 'This step bearing is in alinement .with alug a2, which 'is cast mtegrally with the main box A.

F is the switch tongue,A and projecting therefrom, and through-anopenlngin the switch structure, is the lug f, to which 1s connected theoperating rod G by means of the nuts g, g, while'the other' end of thisrod is connected toa crank H, 'Surrounding the rod G, and adjacent tothe crank H, 1s the bracket J, which isvsecured to the side of the box Aby means of the screws y', j. The orilice in the bracket J through whichthe rod G passes is elongated (see Fig. 3) for thc purpose hereinafterdescribed.

on the rod G between the collar g and the switch tongue. This flangednut 1s pro- .with projections a, a, on the box proper,and

the outer face c2 of the chock conforms; to. the shape of the switchstructure.

" SurroundingA the' rod G, and bearing 'against the inner 'face of thebracketJ, is `the flanged collar g', and g2 1s a flanged nut vided witha. jam nut g3, and interposed between the collar g and the llanged nutgl' is the con'ipression spring g4. The function of this spring 1s tonor-'mallj-.f hold the switch tongue in the position shown, namely: the

open posit-ion, so as to derail a car before the crossing 1s reached.

Passing' through lugs a', a', is the pin-K,-

and surrounding this pin is the sleeve H', to the upper end of which thecrank H 1s connected, and interposed between the sleeve and the lug a.is a series of washers 7c, k, l

Theilower end of this sleeve is provided with a. clutch member H2.Surrounding this pin K, and below t'he sleeve H', is the sleeve L, theupper end of which is provided with a clutch member L', and the lowerend is provided with a toothed sector L2.

Passing through the lug-a, and into the ZO/s'tep bearing- (Z3 is the pinM, and surrounding this pin is the bushing N ,the upper end of which isprovided with the toothed inion N', and the lower end with the crank T2,to.

which is connected one end of an operating link N3. This operating linkpasses from the switch box through the flanged opening Z2 and the pipesconnected thereto, to the operating lever.

Secured to the outside of the sides of the box` A, by the screws p, p,are the angle bars P. The lowerface of these-bars is on a line with thebottom of the switch structure B, and they are provided to assistinsupporting the weight of the switch' box en the cross-ties.

Justbefore the car reaches the derailing switch, the motorman brings thecar to a. stop, the conductor crosses the tracks of the crossingrailway,and if the road is clear, .he raises the operating lever,rotating the pinion N and with it the sector L.

The movement of this through the medium' of the clutch members L and H2will rock the crank H, draw the rod G and with it the tongue'F againstthe action of the spring g4. The car now passes over the closed switchand the crossing, and as soon as the car has passed over the switch, andthe conductor releases the .operating lever, the switch will be resetfor dei-ailing throughthe action of' the spring g4. If' a car shouldtrail the switch, or pass over the tracks in the reverse direction, itwould merely close the switch, compress the spring g, and rotate thesleeve H', but would not rotate the sleeve L, asithe lost motion betweenthe clutchmembers H2 and L', is great enough to take care of .this

movement After the car has passedthe switch, the spring willagainresetthe swltch.

As previously stated, my improvedsprinv box is designed to take-care ofvarious dit ferences of switches caused by different conditions, and isaccomplished in the following manner: If thebox is to be attached` to aswitch 'structure of a lower rail lsection than that shown in thedrawings, a. chock C, whose outer face is adapted to that of the switchstructure is supplied, and the angle bars P are placed with their lowerfaces on a line with the bottom of the switch structure. If the hole inthe lug .fon the tongue vis higher than that illustrated in thedrawings, i I

bolts E, are loosened, and the pin M is removed, thereby releasing thesleeve N. The cap or cover D is rotated so -as to aline the rod N3 withthe operating lever; the sleeve N is replaced, and the pin M insertedinto its place and the bolts E are tightened.`

If the link yN?.

I donot wish toflirnit myself to the'detail"y constructionand-arrangement of parts as shown and described, as various changes canbemade without departing from the spirit and scope of my' invention. l

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to 4secure'byl Letters'Patent is l. In aswitch-box, a tongueoperating -rod, a link leading to Aan operating lever,

connections between .the operating rod and.

the link, and means for changing1 the angle between the operating rodand t e link.'

2. In a switch-box, a tongue operating rod, a link leading to anoperating lever, connections between the operating rod and the link, andmeans for changing the angle between the operating rod and the link, incombination with a casing havin an adjustable portion to compensate forifference in an le between the operating rodand the li e 3. In a switchbox ofthe character described, a casingl inclosing the operating`vmechanism, and a chock interposed between the casing and the switchstructure, one of.

its faces conforlning-to the face ofthe switch structure and the other.face conforming to the face of the, casing,.for the purpose.'

specified. I l

4. In a switch of the -haracter described,

a casing inclosing the opexating'mechanism,

an adjustable cap having a pipe socket, and

a chock interposed between the casingand the switch structure.

5. In a switch-box, a cra-nk, connections between thecrank and theswitch, a second crank, an operating link connected thereto,

and adjustable opera-ting mea-ns between the two cranks.

6. Iii a switch-box, a crankV having a pin?` ion connected thereto, aswitch member, oon-"l1 nections between the crank and the swltch member.connected to ;thegcrank, a 'hector t in -a' crank connected thereto,and an operating llink connected vto vthe last mentioned cra-nk.

-7. A switch` box having a crank, a switch the crank, a pinion, a,clutch connection between the pinion and mesh with the pinion,

linkV connected to the crank'.

8. A "switch-box having a 'crank-shaft journalegi therein,

a switch member `connected to the crankshaft, a p lmon 1n line with andconnected to" the crank-shaft by clutch members, a sector in mesh withthe pinion, av second crankshaft journaled in the switch- 'varying form,

erating link connected to the second crank shaft. A

9.' In a switch operating mechanism, a spring box of standard form,and-means for attaching thesame to switch structures of 'consisting ofan interposed filler or attaching member having one side adapted to thestandard box, and the other side adapted to the particular switchstruc'- tnre to which the boX is attached,

In testimony whereof, I have aiiiXed 'my signature in presence of twoWitnesses.

h WILLIAM MILTON BROWN. 1Witnesses:

` CHAS. W. Gool), `H. W. SMITH.

